Hi, I'm Geoff Snider, of the Philadelphia Wings and I would like to talk about Face-offs.

Face-offs

1.) Always watch the ball all of the way into your body or stick when making a save. This will increase the likelihood of making some of those tough saves and help you keep sight of your rebounds.

Facing off is an intricate part of lacrosse and is a separate battle within the game all on its own. When games are won and lost on possessions and momentum; face-offs can help bring a team back to life, help to create positive momentum swings, or prevent adverse momentum swings by your opponent.

Here are some general tips on how to take control of the momentum in a lacrosse game and generate possessions for your offense:

1) Approach the line and the ball on a 45 degree angle. The more force you can generate over top of the ball and into your opponent drastically increases your chance of gaining control of the ball.

2) Keep your weight off of your hands. You can't be quick if all of your weight is pushing your hands into the ground. Get in a comfortable, athletic position and lower your center of gravity so not to lean on your hands and stick.

3) Pay attention to the officials. Most officials will have a certain "cadence" or routine when they administer the face off. Be aware of their tempo and be as quick as you can to react to the whistle.

4) Don't quit. If you feel like your opponent has an edge on you over the course of a game or in one particular instance, make sure to get scrappy and do whatever it takes to get the win. Even if you don't win the draw, you can chase down the ground ball.

5) Practice in a competitive setting. Practicing on your own is great in developing a face-off routine and speed, but nothing is better than going live against another individual. By practicing in a competitive setting you are forced to read your opponent and get scrappy.